Artificial-fuel forming and compressing machine.



PATENIED DEC. I2, 1905.

J. M. DENNIS.

ARTIFICIAL FUEL I'ORMING AND GOMPRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16.1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 806,876. Y PATENTBD DEG. 12, 1905.

J. M. DENNIS.

ARTIFICIAL FUEL FORMING AND COMPRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16, 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 806,876. P'IENTED DBC. 12, 1905.

J. M. DENNIS.

ARTIFICIAL FUEL PORMING AND COMPRBSSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16.1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 806,876. PIATENTED DBC. 12, 1905. J. M. DENNIS. ARTIFICIAL FUELIORMING AND GOMPRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED H1316. 1905.

s SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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W/ T/VES SES PATBNTED DEC. l2, 1905.

I. M. DENNIS. ARTIFICIAL FUEL IONMING AND coMPNBssING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB.16, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrron. e I

JAMES M. DENNIS, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAMH. ALFORD, ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE E. KEMPER, AND ONE- FOURTH TO GEORGE W.DEUKER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed February 16, 1905. Serial No. 245,889.

1'0 a/Z w/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State ofIndiana, (whose postoffice address is Richmond, In'diana,) have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Artificial-Fuel Forming andOompressino Machines, of which the following is a specication, whichwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof, is sufliciently clear and concise as to enable others skilledin the art form, which will be strong and durable in construction,positive in action, compact and symmetrical in proportions, and capableof a wide scope of usefulness and efhciency.

Another object is the provision of an artificial-fuel forming andcompressing machine composed of interdependent and cooperating elementsVso arranged and combined as to produce fuel units of the desired andpredetermined density and at the same time performing the work rapidlyand at a very low cost of production.

A still further object is to provide an artificial-fuel forming andcompressing machine which involves simplicity of construction andoperation, in which the greatest possible efficiency or working power issecured with a minimum of power and manual energy applied thereto, andwhereby the attendant will be enabled to control its operations so thatits work may be changed or variated when desired and in which the workwill be performed with certainty and precision.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine having verypowerful compression and resistance qualities in order that the materialbeing operated upon thereby will be formed into units of great solidityand density for the purposes both of influencing thecombustion'qualities of the fuel and also view of the machine.

to admit of the finished product being handlednvithout danger ofcrumbling and with economy in transportation, and, finally, another object is to produce an economicallyoperative machine which will producefuel units from disintegrated and conditioned materiall of a superiorand uniform density which will retain their form without liability ofcracking or of being fractured either by handling or by the action ofclimatic conditions, which machine will be complete and simple both inconstruction and operation.

Other objects and specific advantages of this invention will be mademanifest in the course of the following specification.

It should be noticed that the machine covered by this present patentmay-be used with slight modifications for operating on a great varietyof materials and substances; but primarily it is designed for themanufacture of artificial fuel briquets, blocks, lumps, or other formsof units, and a particular instance illustrating the material operatedon and for which this machine is especially adapted will be founddescribed in Letters Patent No. 773,004, dated October 25, 1904. Incarrying out the general objects above referred to by the mechanicalconstruction and arrangement constituting the .present invention I havearranged the various parts and devices and the essential elements inapproXimately-that is, substantially-pro gressive succession-that is tosay, whereby one of the essential steps in the process stated in thepatent above referred to is accomplished in its order-that is, thecompression and formation of the product into fuel units.

One manner of carrying out the obj ects of my invention and that whichin practice has been found most desirable is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of my invention. Fig. 3 is aleft-hand end view of the said parts. Fig. 41E-is a right-hand elevationof the end of my invention. Fig. 5 is a plan Figs. 6 and 7" are detailviews of the knockers for removing the product from thecompressionchambers. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the force-feed for themachine. Fig. 9 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the machine',taken through the IOO machine on the line :z: of Fig. l2. Fig. 10 showsa vertical longitudinal section taken through the machine on the line YY of Fig. 5. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of one of the compressed andcompleted fuel units. Fig. 12 is an end elevation of one of thecompressed and completed fuel units, and Figs. 13 and 14 are detailviews of antifrictionbearings for closing the ends of thecompression-chambers.

Similar indices refer to and denote like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings.

With all of the above-designated views in mind I will now take up thedescription of the invention in concrete detail and will refer to thevarious parts as briefly and compactly as I may.

My machine has incorporated therein as the basis thereof the main frameor pedestal A, which is shown in side elevation in Figs. 1 and 2 and inend elevation in Figs. 3 and 4. The said frame is provided with the fourbase feet a a a a for contact with the floor and with means whereby themachine may be secured to the floor or to a foundation. 'Ihe top orupper edge of the said frame terminates in a flange forming thehorizontal bedplate a, which should have a perfectlyT level upper facewhich extends entirely around the central hollow portion or well of themain frame.

Mounted on the bed-plate d, central of the left-hand portion thereof,are the two corresponding and oppositely-disposed ournalboxings B and C,permanently located on the front and the rear, respectively. Mounted inthe said journal-boxings B and C is the comparatively heavy axle D,which axle is provided with a central channel .fl therethrough extendingfrom end to end thereof in an axial direction, as shown. Mounted on theaxle D, between the sides of the main frame, is the compressor-wheel E,which is provided with a hub e, the terminals of which are adapted tocontact with the journal-boxings B and C, by which end movement orthrust of the compressor-wheel E is prevented.

The interior of the compressor-wheel E is formed hollow to provide anannular steamspace whereby it may be heated, which will be fullyexplained hereinafter. The rim portion of the compressor-wheel E is ofless thickness 'than is the hollow steam-space portion, and in theperiphery of the rim are formed a multitude of U-shaped cavities orcompression-chambers, as indicated by the numeral 1, which chambersextend entirely through the rim in an axial di rection-that is, at rightangles to the face of the wheel. The ends of said compression-chambersare adapted to be closed when a compression takes place by means of africtionless mechanism, which will hereinafter be fully explained andpointed out. Each of said compressionchambers is entirely separated fromall of the others by facets, each of which facets is formed of a portionof the natural peripheral curvature of the periphery of the rim of thewheel, said facets being designated by the indice at, and the size ofeach facet is slightly less than are the mouths of the saidcompression-chambers. The formation of said compression-chambers andfacets is clearly shown in Fig. 10. Mounted on the front end portion ofthe axle D outside the frame A arev the two pulleys 1 0 and 11, thepurposes of which will presently appear. Mounted on the rear end portionof the axle D is the gear 12, by which the axle D and the wheel E may berevolved, as will presently be fully explained.

Integral with and rising from the bedplate near its right-hand end arethe two oppositely-disposed lugs 3 and 3. Mounted slidably on top ofthebed-plate, central of the right-hand portion thereof, are the twocorresponding and oppositely-disposed ournal-boxings F and G, located onthe front and rear portions, respectively. Mounted in thejournal-bearings F and G is the comparatively heavy axle II, similar tobut of less length than the said axle D, which axle H is provided with acentral channel 7L, extending through from end to end thereof in anaxial direction. Mounted on the axle H between the sides of the mainframe is the compressorwheel I, which is provided with a hub i, theterminals of which are adapted to contact with the journal-boxings F andG, by which end movement or thrust of the compressionwheel I isprevented. The interior of the compressor-wheel I is formed hollow toprovide an annular steam-space whereby it may be heated, which will befully explained hereinafter. The rim portion of the compressor-wheel Iis of less thickness than is the hollow steam-space portion, and in theperiphery of the rim are formed a multitude of U-shaped cavities orcompression-chambers, as indicated by the numeral 2, which chambersextend entirely through the rim in an axial direction-that is, at rightangles to the face of the wheel. The ends of said compression-chambersare adapted to be closed when a compression takes place by means of africtionless mechanism, which will hereinafter be fully explained andpointed out. Each of said compression-chambers is entirely separatedfrom all of the others by facets, each of which consists of a portion ofthe natural peripheral curvature of the periphery of the rim of theWheel, said facets being denoted by the indices z, and the size of` eachfacet is slightly less than are the mouths of said compression-chambers.The formation of said compression-chambers and facets is clearly shownin Fig. 10;

It will have been noticed that the compressor-wheels E and I areessentially and IOS ITO

IZO

identically alike in size and construction, and they are mountedrevolubly together with an approximately iifty-per-cent. fluxionarymesh-that is to say, the facets :r of the wheel E enter the cavities 2of the wheel I.

Likewise the facets. z of the wheel I entery the cavities of the wheelE, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 10.

As before stated, the ournal-boxinvs F and G are mounted slidable on thebed-plate. This sliding movement is prevented from extending too far tothe left by the following described means: The numerals 13 and 13 denotelugs integral with and extending up from the face of the bed-plate, asshown. Through each of said lugs is a horizontallydisposedadjusting-screw 14 and 14, respectively, whose points are contactiblewith the respective journal-boxings F and G, whereby the wheel I may begiven a limit of approach to its consort the wheel E. The lateralmovement of the wheel I to the right is prevented from extending too farby means of a flexible adjustment, which is described as follows:Threaded horizontally into the lugs 3 and 3' are the relatively longadjustingscrews 15 and 15', respectively, with their screw ends directedtoward the journal-bearings F and G. Pivoted on the ends of the screws15 and 15' are the bosses 16 and 16', respectively, each having a shortinwardlyprojecting stem adapted to enter a short distance into itsrespective helical compressionsprings 17 and 17', respectively. Saidsprings are seated against the shoulders of the journal-bearings F and Gand against the shoulders of the bosses 16 and 16', respectively, asshown.

The numeral 18 denotes a shaft, one end being ournaled in a bearingtherefor on the rear side of the frame A, the other end being journaledin the double-pedestal hanger 19.

Mounted on the shaft 18is the pinion 20, which meshes with the gear 12,and also mounted on the shaft 18 is the gear 21.

The numeral 22 denotes a shaft, one end being journaled in a bearingtherefor on the rear side of the frame A, the other end being journaledin the double-pedestal hanger 19. Mounted on the shaft 22 is the pinion23, which meshes with the gear 21., and also mounted on the shaft 22 isthe gear 24.

The numeral 25 denotes the driving-shaft, 011e end thereof being journaled in the bearing therefor on the rear side of the base A, theother end being journal'edin the singlepedestal hanger 26. Mounted onthe drivingshaft 25 is a pinion 27, meshing with the gear 24.

It will now be apparent that the shaft'25 may be driven at a high rateof speed by means of suitable pulleysor the like secured thereon, whichoperate the various drive and driven gears and pinions and will resultin the compression-wheels being operated comparatively slow, but withalat great power and positiveness. f

Secured on the center of the bedplate and projecting inwardly andupwardly and almost contacting with the sides of the rims of the wheelsE and I, across the meeting portions of which they extend, are the frontand rear housing-plates 28 and 29, respectively, by which the contactingand intermeshing portions of the compression-wheels are incased,substantially as indicated in the drawings. The ends of the meetingcompressionchambers are retained tightly closed during compression bymeans of the antifrictiondisks 75 and 76,v which are loosely fitted incorresponding cavities therefor formed in the inner faces of therespective housingplates 28 and 29. `"As will be noticed, disks arelocated to the right (to the left, if desired) of the center in orderthat greater traction will be exerted on one side than on the other,whereby they may be revolved rather than counterbalanced, which would bethe result if they were located centrally. The said disks 75 and 76 reston a bank of balls which cover the bottom of the said cavities, and theybring the faces of the disks tightly in contact with the sides of therim of the compression-wheels, and each system of said balls is denotedin the drawings by the numerals 77 and 78, front and rear, respectively.

By the above it will be apparent that the meeting compression-Chambersof the two wheels E and I will at all times have their ends tightlyandsecurely closed bysaid disks, whereby as the pressure is exerted uponthe material to compress it there will be none of it lost through theends of the compressionchambers.

The tops of the housing-plates 2 8 and 29 do not extend to the height ofthe compression-wheels, and on top said plates are secured together, andrising therefrom is the double-wall supply-spout 30, which spout mayextend to a floor above or to other points to conduct the material tothe machine to be operated on.

In the process of forming and compressing the fuel the material of whichit is composed is preferably previously prepared in a finelypowderedcondition, and it is usually delivered to the machine in a heated state.

In order that the material may not cool in the operation of compressionand in order to obtain the proper results as to compression andcohesion, it is highly material that the compression-wheels should beheated, and I have found that steam-heating gives the most satisfactoryresults, although hot air or hot water might be employed withdiscretionary aptitude.

The steam-heating system of the machine is describable as follows: A nessential part of this system is the interior spaces of the IOOcompression-wheels and of the said apertures d and h, formed through therespective axles D and H. Communication is established between theinterior of the compressionwheels and the said apertures of the axles,respectively, by means of the crosseapertures d d in the axle D and thecross-apertures h h in the axle H, which apertures are formed throughthe center of the respective axles at right angles to the axialdirection and to the apertures (Z and h, respectively, as is indicated,and whereby communication is established between the interior spaces ofthe compression wheels and the central axial apertures of the axles.Secured in and extending out from the rear end of the aperture d is anipple 31, having on its outer end one member of the flexible coupling32, the other member of said coupling having the short pipe 33,extending out therefrom, and on the outer end of the latter is securedthe T-fitting 34. Entering the fitting 34 is the live-steam supply-pipe35. Secured in and extending out from the rear end of the aperture h isa nipple 36, having on its outer end one member of the flexible coupling37, the other member of said coupling having the pipe 38 extending outtherefrom, (on a line with the outer end of the pipe 33,) and on theouter end of the latter is secured the L-fitting 39. Connecting thefittings and 39 is the pipe 40. Thus it will be seen that by the abovemeans are provided for furnishing live steam to the compression-wheels.Secured in and extending out from the front end of the aperture d is anipple 41, having on its outer end one member of the flexible coupling42, the other member of said coupling having the nipple 43 extending outtherefrom, and on the outer end of the latter is se* cured the three-wayfitting 44, which latter has the exhaust-pipe 35 extending downtherefrom to the point desired for the exhaust. Secured in and extendingout from the front end of the aperture 7L is a nipple 46, having on itsouter end one member of the flexible coupling 47, the other member ofsaid coupling having the pipe 48 extending out therefrom, and on theouter end of the latter is secured the L-fitting 49. The littings 44 and49 are connected by the pipe 50. Thus it will be seen that by the abovemeans are provided for exhausting the steam from thecompression-wheels.. By means of the above-described steamheating systemmeans are provided for passing a continuous flow of live steam or thelike through the compression-wheels.

The lower end of the sup ply-spout 30 opens into the mouth of thehopper-space formed by the housingplates 28 and 29 and the peripheriesof the compression-wheels, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and mountedcentrally across through the lower portion of the supply-spout 30 is asmall shaft 51, which prosoav jects a considerable distance forward,with a pulley 52 mounted on its forward end on a line with the saidpulley 11, and the pulleys 52 and 11 are connected by a belt 53, wherebythe shaft 51 is revolubly mounted to rotate with the axle D. Mounteddirectly under and at right angles to the shaft 51 and central of thespout 31 is the screw force feed 54, which is mounted in a spidercarried in the lower end portion of the spout 30. On the upper end ofthe screw-feed shaft is a bevel gear-wheel 55, which meshes with asimilar bevel gear-wheel 56, which latter is secured on the shaft 51.The gear-wheels 55 and 56 maybe covered by ahood, (not shown,) if foundadvisable, in order to protect said gear-wheels. By the above-describedarrangement it is apparent that l have provided a force feed for thematerial which will be practical and efficient. 1

The lower peripheral portion of each of the compression-wheels E and Iare provided with knockers M and N, respectively, which are of identicalconstruction and are shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. Said knockersconsist, essentially, of spring body portion to be bolted at one end tothe inside wall of the interior of the well of the main frame, as shownin Figs. 5, 9, and lO, and each having a roller M and N, respectively,which are adapted to press with considerable force the sides of the rimsof the compression-wheels and to enter slightly into each of thecompression-charm bers l and 2, respectively, as the compression-wheelsrevolve.

Mounted in the lower end portion of the main frame A are the horizontalshafts 57 on the left and 58 on the right. Mounted on the shafts 57 and58 central of the main frame are the relatively wide-faced pulleys 59and 60, respectively, over which and between which pulleys extends thescreen conveyer-belt 61. The shaft 57 extends out beyond the frame A,and on its outer portion is mounted the pulley 62. Connecting thepulleys 62 and l0 is the belt 63, by which the conveyer-belt is causedto move endwise to convey the finished product to one end of the machineor to some other point, and by means of the open-work or screen the fineparticles of dust or the like are allowed to fall through to the flooror to a receptacle for that purpose, which may be deposited below theconveyer.

Numeral 64 denotes a double or two-part bracket mounted on the bed-plateat the left end of the main frame, which bracket carries a small shaft65, on which is mounted the lubricator 66, having spurs around on itsperiphery to fit into and mesh in the compression chambersV l, thelubricator 66 being adapted to expurgate and lubricate thecompression-chambers 1 and the facets x, and also mounted on thebed-plate, below said lubricator 66, is the lubricant-receptacle 67,

the lubricator 70, having spurs around on its periphery to lfit into andmesh in the compressionechambers 2, the lubricator 70 being adapted toexpurgate and lubricate the compression-chambers 2 and the facets e, andmounted on the bed-plate, below the said lubricator 70, is thelubricant-receptacle 7l,`

throughwhich the lower segmental portion of the lubricator moves andfrom which the A lubricant is transmitted to the said compresthenallowed to exhaust through the pipe 45.

sion-chambers and to said facets.

The steam-space of the compressor-wheels E and I being of comparativelylarge dimension, I consider it at least prudent to connect the walls ofsaid chambers by a number of strut stay-bolts S and 5, respectively, inorder to guard against a possible plenum or vacuum therein.

Means for draining the interiors of the compressor-wheels E and I isprovided by the apertures U and V, respectively, which apertures areordinarily closed by a screw-plug.

The absolute essential of this machine, a

will have been surmised, is the two identical compressor-wheels E and I,which are i of novel design both as to their interior and exteriorconstruction, and particularly as to the compression-chambers in theirperipheries, the manner of their intermeshing, and the novel manner -forclosing the ends of the compression-chambers, and I desire it understoodthat my attempts to apply the various principles involved have beenhighly satisfactory.

Operation: The operation of the machine is substantially as follows: Thepower being applied to operate the shaft 25 from right to left, thepower will be transmitted through the intermediate gears above shown anddescribed. The operation of the compressorwheels will be in thedirection of the arrows, as shown in Figs. l and 10. The steam beingadmitted through the pipe 35`is admitted to the interiors of thecompressor-wheels and The admission and exhaust o the steam iscontrolled by suitable valves, which are not a part of this invention.The machine being otherwise in readiness, the previously prepared andheated material is allowed to enter through the spout 30 and is fed tothe machine by the force feed, the material being interjected betweenthe approaching faces of the compressor-wheels E and I, filling thecompression-chambers l and 2 as they are advanced in their propersequence, whereby it is apparent that the facets :l: will enter thecompressor-chambers 2 and the facets c will enter thecompressor-chambers l, by which it will be seen that the materialcontained in the compression-A chambers will beV compressed, and byreason of the great pressure applied, combined with the heat maintained,it will be solidified into fuel units corresponding in contoursubstantially to that as shown in Figs. l1 and 12. As the machineadvances the fuel units thus formed will be released as thecompressionwheels pass their point of contact and the units will fallupon the constantly-InovinCr carrier 61. Should the fuel units fail tofall from the receding chambers of their own weight, then in that eventthe knockers M and N will press them out when they arrive at the pointto be engaged thereby.

While I have shown and described the best means to me known at this timefor carrying out my invention in a practical manner, I desire to have itfully understood that I do not restrict myself to the exact details ofconstruction shown and described, but hold that any changes orvariations in such details as would suggest themselves to the ordinarymechanic would clearly fall within the limits and scope of my invention.

There are no natural divisions between the variousmechanisms described,vthey all beinU operated from a single source of power, an the variousparts are so nicely proportioned that the various operations of themachine follow each other in proper and harmonious order and withcertainty and precision, thus producing a machine in which each of theelements thereof operate together for the production of a single result.

Having now fully shown and described my invention and the best means forits construction to me known at this time, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a fuel forming and compressing machine consisting in Vcombinationof a main frame, a pair of compressor-wheels meshing together andmounted in said frame, compression-chambers formed in the peripheries ofsaid wheels, a pair of housing-plates closing the ends of thecompression-chambers at the point of contact of the said wheels,antifriction-disks mounted in the inner faces of said housing-plateswhereby they close the open ends effectually of the compressionchambersat the point when power is being applied to form a fuel unit, means forposi tioning said disks whereby they will revolve, and means forcompounding the power applied, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In a machine for compressing powdered or other conditioned material,a main frame, a pair of compressor-wheels having compressing-chamberslocated in their peripheries with a facet located between each IOO IIS

two of said chambers, means for resiliently mounting one of thecompressor-wheels in meshing contact with 'the other compressorwheelwhereby as the facets of each of the compressor-wheels enter thecompressorchambers of the other compressor-wheel as they revolve incontact with each other they will exert a pressure on the materialcontained in the compression-chambers, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a machine for compressing powdered or other conditioned material,a main frame, a pair of compressor-wheels having compression-chamberslocated in their peripheries with a facet located between each two ofsaid chambers, means for resiliently mounting one of thecompressor-wheels in meshing contact with the other compressorwheelwhereby as the facets of each of the compressor-wheels enter thecompressorchamber of the other compressor-wheels as they revolve incontact with each other they will exert a pressure on the materialcontained in the compression-chambers, a pair of housing-plates forinclosing the segmental portions of the contacting parts of thecompressor-wheels, a pair of disks mounted in the opposite faces of thehousing-plates and being located to one side of the line of contact ofsaid wheels, and the mea-ns forinounting said disks on ball-bearings,all substantially as shown and described.

4L. In a machine for compressing powdered or other conditioned material,a main frame, a pair of compressor-wheels having compressor-chambersformed in their peripheries with a facet located between each two ofsaid chambers, means for resiliently and slidably mounting one of thecompressor-wheels in meshing contact with the other compressor-wheelwhereby the facets of one wheel will enter the compressorchambers of theother compressor-wheel as the said wheelsrevolve, means for closing theends of the compression-chambers during the compression of the material,means for feeding the material to the machine, means for heating thecompressor-chambers, and a knocker for each compression-wheel forremoving the finished product from the com- -pression-chambers, allsubstantially as shown and described. y

5. In a machine for compressing powdered or other conditioned material,a frame for supporting the parts, a pair of compressor-wheels havingcompressor-chambers formed in their peripheries at equal distances apartwith a facet located between each two compression-Chambers which facetcorresponds to the curvature of the compressor-wheels, means forrevolubly inount= ing one of said compressor-wheels on an aile carriedin permanent bearings, means for revolubly mounting the other of saidcompressor-wheels on an axle carried in laterallyslidable bearings,springs acting on the bearings of the last-named bearings whereby theperipheries of the compressor-wheels are retained in resilientv meshingcontact, and means for revolving said wheels together by means of acompounding gear, all substantially as described.

6. The combination with the main frame, a pair of compressor-wheelsmounted in said frame and meshing togetherthe cogs and the spacesthereof forming chambers to receive powdered materials to be compressedas said wheels mesh together, a pair of housing-plates inclosing thecontacting portions of said wheels, antifriction-disks mounted in theinner faces of the housing-plates a little to one side of the point ofcontact ofthe said wheels, means for depositing material between themeeting peripheries of the wheels, and a heating system for heating thematerial while being operated on, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

7. In a fuel forming and compressing machine the combination of tworelatively revoluble steam-containing wheels mounted in a common frameand each having a separate axle, means for adjusting one of said wheelswhereby they will mesh together resiliently, means for oiling theperipheries of said wheels, and means for frictionlessly and positiveljTclosing the ends of the compressionchambers formed in the peripheries ofsaid wheels and at the point said wheels are meshing together, allsubstantially as described.

8. In a machine for forming and compressing fuel units from a powderedcompost, the combination of a pair of interiorly steamheatedcompression-wheels mounted in a frame, means for feeding the compost tothe compressor-chambers, means for automatically oiling the compressorchambers, and means for conveying the finished units to the point ofdelivery, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Vsigned my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

` JAMES M. DENNIS. Vitnesses RoBT. YV'. HANDLE, R. E. HANDLE.

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